Posts Tagged: culture

The other day I happened upon the Fast Company article 12 Trends That Will Rule Products In 2013. The article was focused on consumer goods like phones and washing machines, but you know what? The trends listed made sense in the context of the workplace too and here’s why: your employees are consumers. It’s inevitable that their consumer purchasing behavior will shape their attitudes at work as well.

Here are four trends Fast Company listed that have implications for those of us in the human resources and management functions of our companies.

Personal development is incredibly important for both employees and employers, yet few take it as seriously as they should. However, by making personal development a part of your office culture, you can create a company staffed with a well-trained, knowledgeable workforce eager to further their career with you.

﻿There are some things in life that truly tie us all together. I think that one of them is music!! Seriously, think about it. We can remember a certain song or group that defined high school, college, weddings, etc. Have you got the music in you?

What was once a professional networking tool used by a select few has now become a critical aspect of the lives of a huge portion of the population. Social media can be a powerful resource for businesses wanting to expand, diversify, or appeal to a wider demographic.

This starts with the simple concept of branding. Branding is more than choosing a name for your company and defining a business plan. You must create an impression that will last with your targeted audience.

Women of HR were asked, “If you were CEO for a day, what would (or did) you focus on to improve an organization’s productivity, employee engagement or ability to recruit?” This is the fifth post in the series of responses.

Wow! It is really fascinating to hear people call me a CEO of my company even if it is for a day! Let me make this a 12 hour work day from 7.a.m to 7.p.m. (only for me, employees can come in at normal office hours) Is this necessary? Yes of course, for me, as I am getting one shot at this and I need to maximize my work day to make a few hard decisions and to inspire everyone communicating why we do things the way we do!

A few weeks ago, week my constant state of being over committed caught up with me and I fell ill. My body was telling me to slow down and I fought it with everything I had, but I lost. The result of what happened was exactly what I needed. You see, I had an ENTIRE day to myself. No one at home. No one at my office door. No electronic device tempting me . . . . it was just what I needed.

I am a true believer that HR should always report to the President or the most senior level in the company and I will work hard to make sure that this is where I report. It comes down to people, access, money and action.

When the management doesn’t care, you can sense the difference in the company when you walk through the door. I have worked for companies where the employees felt no more important than the pawn in a chess game. They knew it, their managers knew it, and the company knew it. If you really do value your employees – great! But how is this reflected in your workforce?